I have been taking a break this past week. I knew where we were going and also that it would be more or less radio silence but I was surprised at the almost total lack of service from Vodafone which was refreshing but I could not even text or call Mrs O whilst I went about my business capturing early morning and early evening images.
I was eager to try out some ND grad work with the D810. I had taken the Fuji GW670III and a bag of film but I decided not to waste any of that on the grockle type subject matter.

I walked miles and miles along beautiful firm sandy beaches with seemingly more dogs than bipeds. Northumberland must have more dogs than any other county I have visited, and more photographers.

I did not see evidence of photographers bagging and hanging dog shite though. It appalls me to see dog owners bagging and hanging shite or just dropping it.

I suppose I ought not to have been surprised to find a gaggle or is it a shutter of photographers assembled on the rocks to the north of Bamburgh castle in the penumbra of the pre-dawn all trying to emulate an oft shot scene from many a photography magazine.

I chose to shoot the tank traps, as much a defence as the castle that has existed in some form for almost 2000 years.

I know I did not waste any 120 film but I shot quite a number on the Trip 35 and Nikon FE2 almost as an antihisis to the hoardes of DSLR toting 50 plus somethings.

We went to Holy Island on Wednesday and I was amazed by the steady troupe of ‘pilgrims’ marching around this small island bristling with mainly DSLRs. I have sailed past this island albeit in the 1970s but until this week had never set foot on it so I was thankful for the unfriendly tide tables for the first day of autumn following the equinox. An 0500 start gave me the the opportunity to set up station awaiting the sunrise at almost due East. I spotted just one other photographer on the island and just two other cars in the car park. Quite unlike the previous afternoon.

Another image seen the day before but not made until the following day was this.